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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411929">Chemicals</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperione/pseuds/Vesperione'>Vesperione</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>PEIPHQ Shenanigans [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>ACAB, F/M, Fluff, Implied Smut, Las Vegas, M/M, Songfic, Suits, Symbolism, a near death, fuck the hfpd, happens a month after Married In Vegas, mentions to the casino, mild angst?, part 2 of cherry blossom, peip are superior admit it to urself, putting the science in scientist, this author says acab part idfk, xander has powers au, xander is a part of the black and white au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:22:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411929</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperione/pseuds/Vesperione</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Back in Vegas, John and Xander are met with a stronger challenge than they had last time, and it involves some fairly normal residents from Hatchetfield. How do they stop two dangerous people with a briefcase full of deadly syringes that can turn people to ice from the inside out without getting killed themselves?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlotte/Sam (mentioned), Colonel Schaffer &amp; Melissa, John McNamara/Xander Lee, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins (Mentioned), Ted/Charlotte (implied)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>PEIPHQ Shenanigans [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chemicals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes i was heavily influenced by zoya stfu, and also it's been too long since I've written a mcnamander centred oneshot with a decent wordcount im so proud of myself :)</p><p>-<br/>tws: mentions of murder, mention of cops, mentions of john saying fuck sam, needles, syringes, drugs</p><p>song: Chemicals - The Vamps, but you'd know if u view my instagram story. the sEROTONIN I GET FROM THAT SONG-</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Not even a month later had they decided to go back to Vegas to complete, yet another, mission, except the only difference was how it wouldn’t be just them going, which meant no being alone, which meant no expressing each other. Their relationship was still hidden from the rest of the agents, though behind closed doors, their bond strengthened every day, and every time they were in the room together, at least one of them ended up pressed against the wall, or the door, and a heated make-out session ensued, but there were no traces of the rush of their relationship once they stepped out.</p><p>But as said, this time, it wasn’t <em>just </em>them on the mission. Instead, they needed a fairly large team of people to help take down this double act, with the full knowledge that two people would be more dangerous than just the one, and two agents wouldn’t be enough to take them down. The team consisted of only three PEIP agents, as a matter of fact, and many, many other people. The two that lead the team were General John McNamara, and by his side was Colonel Claire Schaffer. Under their lead was Xander Lee, and non-PEIP residents, such as Paul Matthews and Emma Perkins, who were in a supposed relationship, and also Melissa Faith, who was a “good friend of mine,” Schaffer had said. Others followed in short, like Ted Richards and Charlotte Lowery and they all seemed to be thrilled to get out of Michigan for a while.</p><p>The group from CCRP had been told that they were going on an extensive, all payed for, expensive, vacation. Unfortunately, for legal reasons, the non-agents had to have been lied to in order to keep the mission disclosed to the public. If information got leaked, nobody could pinpoint the outcome, but they knew it wouldn’t be good. What they thought was that, for a few nights, they’d be going to a lavish hotel where they’d stay and participate in some form of ballroom dancing, and everyone had managed to be up to the task. They didn’t know the truth that they were only being used because PEIP needed to fill up the ballroom with unsuspecting people to keep the entire situation as normal as possible to ensure that the target didn’t escape. They could now only hope their plan went right.  </p><p>But, speaking entirely honest, John wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the mission. Bringing along people from outside of his precinct unsettled him a serious amount, and he longed to be in Xander’s room, <em>or </em>in Xander’s bed with no speaking, just touching, as he struggled to talk about his problems on a regular day. He didn’t like change, and this was one of the largest changes he’d had to go through since the loss of Wilbur. It was why, when he got on the plane, he didn’t speak a word for the entire word, not to anyone, not even Xander, and didn’t speak on the car journey from the airport over to the hotel in Vegas either.  </p><p>The hotel wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to John. It’s where he took down many threats to humanity in the past either alone or with another agent. He didn’t know what it was about it that made it the prime area for illegal dealings, but 99% of the time, they’d be caught in the act by the military. It only made sense for them to wind up there on that day as well.</p><p>He thought back to the last time he was there. He’d been with Xander, and they’d taken down the disgusting brother of Linda Monroe, not like they could have told anyone about it. He still had the scar from the bite mark he’d received. He didn’t understand <em>why </em>the attacker’s first defence had been to <em>bite </em>him in the leg, but it had healed well. As soon as they were back in Hatchetfield, they’d loaded the data from their most recent mission on to the database and hadn’t spoken about it again, which meant that John hadn’t found out about the blue flash that Xander said he’d explain, but he didn’t really care. As long as it didn’t set his boyfriend in danger, then it was the least of his worries.</p><p>Once at the resort, John was the first one out of the car, throwing his rucksack on his back, with his suitcase in his hand. He checked the time on his watch as he heard another set of footsteps beside him. He looked up and saw Xander who smiled softly, and also understandingly. That was the other good thing about Xander; he could read people far too well, and John envied him. It was why, most of the time, John always got Xander to do the interrogations. He always had a way of cracking the truth out of people without harm. John could never accomplish that, but Xander had taught him he didn’t need to be able to do everything to go down in the history books, for he was already written as a memorial to the people.</p><p>The backdoors of the jeep they’d arrived in slammed shut, followed by a long sigh that lasted nearly half a minute. “This had better be worth it, General McNamara.” Schaffer said, swinging her own bag over her back as she followed inside. The smaller girl in the red blazer, Melissa, John believed her name was, trailed in after Schaffer into the hotel, and from a distance, he could hear the girl discussing something about a cat. John shook his head, looking to the other car, which was empty. None of the others that were on the plane, that he’d already forgotten the names of, were lingering by the cars, which meant that they were in the hotel. He inhaled sharply and turned to Xander, looking up at him.</p><p>“Are we ready to do this?” He asked, and Xander’s soft smile turned into a wide grin.</p><p>“If it was anything like last time we were in Vegas, then I believe we are in for one hell of a ride,” he explained as he grabbed his belongings, and the two of them headed inside to the hotel that was essential to their relationship.</p>
<hr/><p>They’d unpacked relatively quickly, and changed from the cheap clothing they had bought either online or from The Lakeside Mall on sale and into their lavish suits. Xander was in a deep green, with a white dress shirt, while John went more for the classic black that they were familiar with. Of course, it wasn’t compulsory to look upper class, but for the purpose of the mission, it most certainly was.</p><p>John grabbed his briefcase from his bag that he had to keep hidden, otherwise his cover may be blown. and slipped in the file that they needed into it, before locking it up. As he was about to stand, he felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around his waist, and nearly immediately did he feel his anxiety drain away. “Hello, Xander.”</p><p>“Hello, Mr Las Vegas.” Xander replied, pressing a soft kiss to John’s cheek. “You feeling okay?”</p><p>“I’m nervous, if anything,” John confessed, slipping out of his boyfriend’s arms, walking over to the mirror to fix up his appearance. Xander sat down on the edge of the double bed they’d be sharing, and folded his arms.</p><p>“The last time we were here, it was just us, and now there are more people, and you are deeply out of your comfort zone. And that’s alright, John. Nobody is gonna be upset with you if you suddenly decide you want to fly solo, but as far as I’m concerned, only me, Schaffer and you know the true purpose as to why we’re here.”</p><p>“There will always be that ounce of worry in my chest, however,” John said as he removed a pin from his hair, setting it on the dressing table, sweeping the back of his long, golden hair up into a slick ponytail, his hair tie between his teeth, wisps of hair too short to fit falling on to his cheeks and forehead, mimicking bangs. He could see Xander’s reflection in the mirror, and John turned back to him, furrowing his eyebrows. “What?”</p><p>“Did you used to have <em>bangs?” </em>He asked, and John rolled his eyes, tying his hair up into a ponytail, looking back at his boyfriend.</p><p>“Maybe when I was a child,” he said before leaning down, close to Xander’s face. “Why are you asking?”</p><p>“Because they’d suit you…and you’d also look super attractive with them, regardless.”</p><p>“I’m flattered, but are you implying I’m <em>not </em>attractive?” John tried, only to have an arm hook around his waist, pulling him onto his boyfriend’s lap.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Rude.”</p><p>“Because you’re hot.” Xander smiled and cupped John chin. It didn’t take much for them both to lean into a kiss, Xander’s hands on John’s waist as he twisted to get a better angle. With movements slow and steady, it was reasonably easy to get lost in each other’s presence, to which they were rudely interrupted by a knock at the door.</p><p>“John!” Schaffer’s voice shouted from the other side of the door, and John pulled out of the kiss, slightly breathless, recollecting himself. “Are we leaving at some point tonight or <em>what?” </em>Her tone was certainly fierier than he’d expected, so he cleared his throat and stood up, flattening out his blazer.</p><p>“I’m just finishing up the file!” He called back as Xander stood up from the bed, gently taking John’s wrist in his hand. “Later,” he said lowly, as he pulled his hand out of Xander’s, grabbing the briefcase, walking out of the room, where everyone else stood. The group, as a collective, tilted their heads at them, and John felt his cheeks burning up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Dinner?”</p>
<hr/><p>After everyone had finished their meal, John lifted the briefcase up onto his lap, flicking the locks open, lifting the lid. He looked to the others, who were lost in conversation about CCRP, and glanced to Schaffer, who nodded to confirm he had the go ahead. Sure, he may be the general, but it didn’t mean he always made the smartest decisions in the world. He pulled out a set of files, placing the briefcase back on the floor, and dropped them on the table to gather everyone’s attention. The conversation came to an abrupt halt as he presented the files to them, reading the names on them and such, clearing his throat again, taking a sip of his drink.</p><p>“These files you are to keep on you at all times. If they are not with you, you must <em>not </em>let them leave your hotel rooms,” he started, distributing them around the table, assigning the correct files to each member of the team. “Inside you will first see an image of a suspect.”</p><p>“So, we’re on a mission? With Melissa’s batshit friend?” Ted asked, opening up his envelope, taking out the documents inside, and Melissa glared at him.</p><p>“Schaffer isn’t batshit! We’ve been through this!” She huffed, crossing her arms, slouching in her chair, until curiosity got the better of her and she sat back up, opening up her own file.</p><p>“It’s fine, Melissa. Nobody who works for PEIP is entirely sane.” Schaffer added, shaking her head, not needing to open the file. She tapped on the space next to her, which was John’s placement, encouraging him to continue talking.</p><p>“Right,” he said, as he slipped open the envelope, beginning the process of explanation. “This <em>is </em>a mission, but you won’t have to do any of the practical work. For legal reasons, I am unable to tell you <em>why </em>we are in Vegas tonight, but I will tell you that I can give you some information if possible. The image of the man and the woman that you are looking at currently, their names are Jeanette and Trent Tennant. They possess something that citizens should <em>not </em>have in their hands. It is PEIP’s job, as a branch of the military, to take back what they have.”</p><p>“Okay…” The smallest girl at the table spoke, flicking over the page to look at the third page of information, having already read the second. “Isn’t this a bit…much, sir? Government assigned identities? Come on, man, this isn’t 1854. <em>Nobody </em>around here is gonna be called Kelly.” She rolled her eyes but continued reading, as John spoke up again.</p><p>“Unfortunately, until our leads are in our possession, and we have reclaimed what is ours, <em>then </em>you can go by your name. We have no idea who is, or <em>could </em>be working for our suspects, so in order for our covers not to be blown, you will be referring to yourselves and to each other as these assigned names.”</p><p>“When <em>can </em>we use our actual names?” Paul asked meekly from the other side of the table, beside Emma, as the rest of the table began to mutter in agreement.</p><p>“Simply when we are alone as a group, or when you are in your hotel rooms.” He confirmed, and Paul seemed to have a weight lifted off of his shoulders at that. “But the reason we are all in formal attire is because, if you hadn’t noticed, we are in a very regal hotel.”</p><p>“No shit.” Emma whispered to herself, slightly louder than she hoped as she sipped on her wine. That earned a soft chuckle from Xander, who covered it as a cough.</p><p>“But we’re staying for the week. There will be a dance you must all attend tomorrow night to ensure that I am aware of where you all are, and also to ensure that none of us have gotten lost. Tonight, have the freedom to explore the place. Good luck.”</p>
<hr/><p>The next night came, and as the groups partnered up and began to participate in the activity that swarmed them, they all blended in well. For John, however, there was one issue. Dancing with Colonel Schaffer had <em>not </em>been one of the things John had wanted to do, but he knew, if he was to keep his cover on his identity and his relationship with Xander, he’d have to put up with the worst of it. It wasn’t that Schaffer was the worst part at all, because she wasn’t, but he’d prefer to dance with his boyfriend instead. They made small talk with each other, both of their eyes constantly scanning the scene for their suspect, or suspects, all the while remaining a flawless dance. The room was cramped, and it became harder to move around once the room started filling up with more people. The room they were in was similar to a pool, but the water was the human body, and there was a <em>lot </em>of water. It made it hard to move, and harder to maintain their focus for searching for the crooks involved in handling an illegal weapon.</p><p>It seemed though, every time John thought he saw one of the criminals, his eyes landed on Xander, and he was forced to look in another direction. Xander was dancing with a girl, with long brunette hair that reached her mid back in a strapless blue dress that reached the floor. He could have laughed at the type he’d picked up, as he was almost the opposite to what John was. He almost instantly regretted thinking about that, as the doubt crept up into his throat.</p><p>He often thought about whether he’d be good enough for Xander as a boyfriend, and also as a boss. Xander was an incredible man with a supreme talent, and a mind that looked beyond the walls of the universe that they knew, but certainly didn’t love, and chose to fight with the world by questioning what was beyond it’s existence. John knew he was smart, so when they started dating, it was reasonable he had that fear that he’d fuck up and they’d never speak to each other again, yet things ran smoothly, and they were close enough to inseparable.</p><p>Except they weren’t. In fact, ever since dating, they <em>hadn’t </em>been inseparable, constantly having to distance themselves from the other to protect their relationship. John wanted to tell people, but one month in was too soon, and it wasn’t like he was out to many people at all. Aside from Xander, nobody knew. He could tell Schaffer had her suspicions, but neither of them spoke about the topic. She respected him, and he respected everything about her, which made them a perfect team.</p><p>Yet he couldn’t help the longing to be the girl in the blue dress. Instead, he was the golden haired man, in a maroon suit, dancing with his colleague, who was dressed in some sort of suit that was designed to look like a dress, and they continued to dance in the room that was buzzing with life, alcohol and music. Despite all of the bodies dancing, he couldn’t help but feel that every time his eyes landed on Xander’s beaming face, that he was standing in an empty room with only Xander and the other girl there.</p><p>Yes, he knew that the girl in blue meant nothing to them, and that Xander was safely his. Xander wasn’t the kind to pull a stunt such as cheating on people when drunk, or in general, and he knew that there was enough love in his blood towards his boyfriend to know that they’d be fine, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling something major was about to happen. He hadn’t realised how tight his chest was, or how hard he was gripping Schaffer, as he felt his throat close up, almost like he was drowning in the pool of people he was swarmed by. Even now, in this harsh moment of anxiety, all he could see was Xander. What he hadn’t realised was <em>who </em>that girl was, and why Xander had decided to dance with her to begin with.</p><p>Schaffer punched his side, not too hard as to injure him, but to snap him out of his trance. She looked at him, pulling him back to reality, having to be the only one to do it knowing it couldn’t be anybody else, because John was paranoid about everything. “Are you alright, sir?” She asked, and he chewed the inside of his lip before nodding, continuing the dance.</p><p>“Just sunny, Colonel.” He was trying to remain positive, yet the dread was growing, and he was finding it harder to fight away the feeling that wouldn’t vanish. As he was swept up into chaos around him, he was whisked into another daydream, unaware Schaffer had spotted something, but more importantly, someone. She nudged his side again a little while later, which began to irk him. He wasn’t too fond of the sudden contact, and wanted it over.  “What now?”</p><p>“Girl in blue. With Xander. Jeanette,” she said simply, and John’s eyes widened, turning to face the dancing couple on the other side of the floor, and he smiled. “Trent must be nearby.”</p><p>“With the weapon.” John said, and Schaffer nodded to confirm. They danced as close to Jeanette as possible before the golden-haired man turned back to his colleague.  “This is the part where we split up?”</p><p>“Reasonably,” she said, as she reached into her pocket, showing John the gun she had hidden on the inside of her blazer. His was in his belt, under his blazer, hidden by the fabric, but things were beginning to get incredibly real far too quickly to think about what they were doing.</p><p>Luckily for him, he was trained to work under pressure, and with the lighting on in the room, it made spotting the other criminal much easier than he’d originally anticipated. He was able to see Paul and Emma whisked away in their own bubble, as well as Ted and Charlotte, but he was more concerned for Xander. From the corner of his eye, he watched the doors open, and saw a tall man in all black suit, setting the briefcase he’d been holding before on the ground beside him, and fumbling with the fabric that covered his belt. Much like John had suspected, there’d been a gun attached, and he pointed it directly at Schaffer. He noticed her movements, and realised sooner than later that it wasn’t a bullet she’d been shot with, but a tranquiliser dart.</p><p>Trent was trying to eliminate the “villains” by sending them to sleep, in hopes that they wouldn’t be defeated, except he didn’t realise that he and his lady friend were outnumbered.</p><p>After assuring himself that Schaffer was unconscious and <em>not </em>dead, he moved her against the wall and informed the staff that she was just heavily drunk and he’d take her to her room later, but he needed to grab his “brother,” so he warned them not to move her. He continued to push through the crowd to get to both Xander and the Tennants, and he realised that it may have been the middle of summer with the way he was sweating.</p><p>“Bring it,” he snarled to himself, and wished, no, <em>pleaded </em>for the summertime to come and find him as he continued to gradually progress through the crowd, but as he did, so did Trent. Once he’d managed to get to the clearing in the middle of the floor where Xander was, the briefcase was behind Xander’s legs, and Trent’s arm was wrapped around Xander’s neck. Trent’s intention was to kill Xander, and John wasn’t going to have that.</p><p>Instinctively, he went to grab his gun, but before he had the chance to, there was a blue flash, and soon enough, everything was still and silent. John looked around at the scene, in full disbelief. Everyone was frozen in time, quite literally, aside from him and Xander.</p><p>He turned back to his boyfriend, and watched as he struggled to get Trent’s arm off his throat. He eventually did, and collapsed to the ground, massaging his neck, panting. John joined him on the floor, rubbing his back, not too sure what to do in a scenario such as this one, for it hadn’t been in his basic training. He figured Xander may just need comfort, but he wasn’t too good at comforting people either. “He was by the door two minutes ago. I have no idea how he got over to you so quickly but…Xander, what happened?” He asked softly, not talking about Xander’s ability to create a blue light…or to freeze time. Xander shook his head and coughed as he looked up to John.</p><p>“I found Jeanette.”</p><p>“I know, I saw.”</p><p>“And she kept saying something so suspiciously odd. Some sort of key word.”</p><p>“What keyword?”</p><p>“Sweet like caramel? I mean, I <em>know </em>that’s more than one but-“</p><p>“Breathe.” John told him, cupping Xander’s cheek as he helped to sit him up. He wrapped an arm around him and let him lean against John while he caught his breath. “Keep going.”</p><p>“I-it happened so quickly. Every time my back was pointed south to the doors, she’d say the word again. “Isn’t this place so sweet…like caramel,” was the one she kept saying, and she got louder, and louder, and the she let go of me, and I was pushed back, and Trent had an arm around my throat. Jeanette unlocked the case and handed her partner a syringe, which he pressed the needle into my skin.”</p><p>“He injected you?!” John asked astounded, but felt the cold, comforting feeling of relief brush over him.</p><p>“If he had, I’d be higher than heaven,” Xander said in a lame attempt to make the situation much more light-hearted, but subsequently failed. “And then I saw you. I-I panicked; I didn’t realise I could freeze time-“</p><p>“We’ll talk about that at another time, okay? For now, you’re hurt, and the weapon is in his hand.” He moved his eyesight from Xander, who’s voice was slightly wheezy, and to the syringe in Trent’s hand. He stood, pulling out a needle cap from his breast pocket, and walked over to the frozen man, ripping the syringe from him. He inspected it, shaking it, before crouching down on the ground. “Do you know what chemicals are in this?”</p><p>“Well…many of them…” Xander confessed, hesitantly glancing over to the general, who walked back, and crouched back down beside him, squeezing some of the fluid out on to the floor. Almost as soon as it was out of the casing of the plastic syringe, it turned to some sort of stone, that radiated cold temperatures, and appeared to be ice.</p><p>“I don’t think this chemical is gonna get people high, dear…” John said and put the cap on the syringe, sliding it in his blazer. “This has the intention to kill.”</p><p>“You’re right,” the physicist added, tempted to reach out and touch the mysterious substance before him, but decided against it for once. “The temperature is definitely below freezing, and if injected into a bloodstream, not only would it turn your blood to stone, but it’d freeze you from the inside out…Jesus Christ…”</p><p>“I’m gonna check the briefcase for anymore,” he said, and Xander nodded, allowing John to move again. He dodged the Tennants, and dragged the briefcase over, more of the syringes spilling to the floor. “There’s tens of them in here…possibly hundreds…”</p><p>“A tiny thing like that really <em>does </em>cause a lethal death, huh?” Xander said, and looked at John.</p><p>“So, let’s get these assholes detained. Schaffer’s unconscious, she got shot by a tranq, so I’ll get them both outside and call the authorities to come and collect them. Then we’ve got the night to ourselves.”</p><p>“Promise?” Xander asked, as John slowly stood.</p><p>The general nodded, a soft smile forming on his lips. “I do.” He started with Jeanette, with her being easier to lift after all. He placed her over his shoulder, the fabric of the dress making him almost trip twice. His heart was pounding, like he’d just bungee jumped out of a jet plane. The adrenaline from seeing Xander almost die was dying down, and he hated the aftermath. But then there was Xander, who was alive, and dragging Trent out by his collar, a soft blue glow surrounding his figure. Did Xander have superpowers? Was he some sort of Bruce Wayne knock off? Either way, he wouldn’t mind, because Xander was the best person he’d ever met, and he made John feel things that he didn’t just liked, but loved, and he knew he’d end up loving him if he didn’t already.</p><p>Together, they found a metal pole, and tied them both up securely, keeping the briefcase on a bench nearby. Xander stood guard, and with another reassuring nod from John, allowed himself to use up his energy to create another blue flash. Once it faded, the music from inside started up, and the two Tennants were writhing against the pole, most likely confused as to how they wound up there. While Xander interrogated them, John rang the authorities, ensuring that they’d come and collect the criminals they’d safely taken off the street.</p><p>PEIP soldiers and cops had been compared to doing the same thing. They both arrested people, they both got to carry guns, except there was one major difference. John’s younger cousin, Sam Lowery, the wife to Charlotte Lowery, who was on the mission with them, was the chief of the HFPD, and he was an asshole. That didn’t go for the entirety of his team, because John liked Doug a lot, but cops killed for the fun of it. They were racist bigots who stood by white privilege. Unlike cops, John ensured his team was trained correctly before they got to go out on the field with a license to carry a gun. He stood proud by the fact he never shot a human dead because he could. He ensured none of his team did it for the sake of it. There were cases where there’d be an agent who was dying from some alien infection, and would want an ethical ending rather than to keep living in pain, but they didn’t get shot. PEIP were better. PEIP had always been better.</p><p>With the lack of rules in his job, that came from himself and only himself, in many ways, it felt like he was free-falling most of the time. Often, he debated on whether he should cash in his pay cheques and leave the agency all together, but then there’d be Xander to pull him from the dark, and he’d decide against his thoughts. Every time Xander had been there to pull him back, and if it wasn’t Zee, then it was Colonel Schaffer, and he was extremely lucky to have both of them on his force, and in his life. However, feelings often got overwhelming, and he could lose control, and feel like he was going insane, but there’d always be someone there to convince him he was normal, and that he was okay. He tried to pull himself out of his head, but it was an internal fight he was destined to lose against himself. It was a fight he dreamt, but he always gazed into deep brown eyes whenever he woke.</p>
<hr/><p>Him and Xander stayed out until the two were taken away, and they headed away from the party, back to their shared hotel room, where they locked up the briefcase to be transported back to PEIP when they took the journey back for the science department to examine in full. It was late in the evening, and Xander seemed to be shutting away, as did John. He’d almost lost Xander today, and he didn’t know how to process that, and he was sure Xander was thinking back over how his life had almost be torn from him.</p><p>He sat beside the taller man and placed his hand on his shoulder, looking at him. “Do you want me to see if there’s a visible mark left from the needle, Zee?”</p><p>“Please,” he said and moved the collar of his blazer down.</p><p>There wasn’t a mark at all, but John still inspected it carefully. Eventually, he broke the silence with a smile and kissed his jaw. “There’s nothing there, you’re okay.” He began to leave light kisses from Xander’s jawline down to his neck, moving to kiss his neck more and more, a bruise forming. Xander caught on to what was happening, and before he knew it, he was being pinned to the bed by the other agent, who raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“What game are you trying to play, John?”</p><p>“A fun one,” he retorted, as he slipped out of his blazer, throwing it over to his suitcase. “Oh, and by the way, you have a mark on your neck now.”</p><p>“I couldn’t tell,” Xander grinned, his voice dripping with sarcasm, as he pulled John up into a kiss, letting John drape his arms over his shoulder’s as Xander unbuttoned John’s shirt. They ended the night like they always did, safe in each other’s arms.</p><p>As the night turned darker, Xander pulled the duvet covers over the both of them as he wrapped his arms around John, who was half asleep. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind John’s ear and smiled. “I think you’ll be the one with marks in the morning.” John protested with a tired mumble before drifting off to sleep.</p><p>In a way, this was their normal, and neither of them wanted it any other way.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>god im so fucking hyped for cherry blossom don't even get me started, so not only is the cherry blossom series gonna be a part of HQ, it's gonna be a subseries. how fucking cool is that. anyways, go stream Chemicals by The Vamps</p><p>comments and kudos are appreciated, but if you are to leave a comment, please be respectful!! thank you very much for understanding :D</p><p>and for the songfic challenge:</p><p>Day 1: Married In Vegas - McNamander<br/>Day 2: Share Your Address - McNamander<br/>Day 3: Mr Loverman - McNamander<br/>Day 4: Miss You - McNamander<br/>Day 5: My Ordinary Life - Lexthan<br/>Day 5: Chemicals - McNamander</p></blockquote></div></div>
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